Each year along the southwest coast the water temperature drops to the mid 60’s bringing in the herds of sheepshead from offshore. They are tough on light tackle and excellent table fare. Because of their long migration they bring with them heavy appetites. They have a very soft bite and on my charters, I instruct fisherman not to set the hook, but to slowly lift the rod when they are biting until the rod loads up with the weight of the fish. I prefer a 7′ medium light fast action rod, a 2500 or 3500 spinning reel with 20-pound braided line. Fluorocarbon leaders (20-30 pound) are a must when fishing for sheepshead, as they are as structure oriented as any species of grouper. I look for moving water around docks, bridges, rip rap, sea walls, rock piles, oyster bars and nearshore wrecks. A key to consistently hooking sheepshead is using a small hook. I prefer a very light wire #2 Owner Octopus (or Mustad Demon Perfect Circle) when fishing nearshore wrecks and just enough weight to keep the bait on the bottom. As far as baits go, small shrimp, sandfleas, tubeworms, fiddler crabs, and even blue crab chunks are all primo baits. I find sheepshead to be very responsive to chum. Perhaps the funniest thing about them is that it does not require a boat. A lot of our best wintertime redfish, snook, and blackdrum, happen to eat our tiny sheepshead-intended baits. Good luck, and good fishing!
Capt. Joshua Roberts is a U.S.C.G. licensed 50-ton captain and has experience fishing from Alaska through Southwest Florida. He is also a Naturalist and provides detailed narration on the flora, fauna, and history of Florida. Contact me at www.fishsouthwestfl.com or 239-849-7137.